Very honestly, I probably am spending way too much time these days sitting in front of a computer, working furiously when not staring in complete confusion at some statistics program or another. The year’s wrapping up all too quickly, and it’s a mad dash at this point to sort out the remaining tasks– which, happily if stressfully, are pretty numerous these days! Two or three days a week, I can be found at the public health school or at the Instituto Nacional de Salud, but usually the work also means long hours at home, which is where I usually wile away the days (perhaps not the best choice of words…working from home: luxurious, but also surprisingly challenging!).
This all, of course, makes my escapes from the house that much more necessary! So, I was really excited last weekend to be able to attend a great play produced by and starring one of my friends here, Mijail. 
There’s something really amazing about seeing a friend take his first big step (though really the compilation of countless little steps) into bringing his aspirations to fruition, especially when you’ve been there not only for all of those moments when it seems that all of the work might have been for nothing, but also for those in which the universe suddenly aligns to guide a dream to reality. Congratulations, Mijail!
What else have I been up to? Well… dance classes, running along the cliffs overlooking the Pacific, dinners with friends, helping with interview and dissertation defense preparations, and reading of course. Tonight, I visited a beautiful crafts market near the Instituto Nacional de Salud and then headed to a film by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) with a few friends. The film is called Invisible and is supposed to tell the stories of the victims of five separate struggles (defined as broadly as neglected diseases to civil war) who are treated as though they are invisible by the world. Interestingly, two of the stories take place in the Andean region of Latin America, one relating to Chagas in Bolivia (not a big problem in most of Peru, except for Arequipa) and the other to guerrillas in Colombia. While I knew about the former, I was surprised to realize how narrow my knowledge is about a few of the other conflicts mentioned in the movie, both in Latin America and in Africa. Suggestions welcome (websites, books or movies, but only if they’re fairly thorough). Anyway, the documentary is decent, but not earth-shattering….there’s an odd scene where the usually solid MSF push for access to essential meds appears rather awkwardly, but otherwise the stories are might make you think, especially (as usual) if you’re not someone who already knows much about these topics.
Ok, enough staring at computer screen for one night… sweet dreams! I’ll figure out how to post photos soon!
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